Sacred Heart of Jesus Capital Campaign at 156 Valley SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504 US - August Director's Letter - All Quiet on the Southwestern Front

Here we are, wrapping up another summer.  From the kick-off back in November to today we have over $1.2 million in pledges.  We have been receiving a consistent stream of payments.  We have enough cash on hand to start some of the most urgent work.  Architects and engineers have been putting final touches on plans.  A lot has happened even though it’s been rather quiet over the past few weeks.

It’s about to get noisy, though.  Later this month the scaffolding is going to be erected.  This will mark the beginning of the actual structural repairs that our church needs so badly.  The project schedule shows activity extending into the first quarter of 2011.

Despite all the progress, we still have a pretty significant struggle.  We have heard from about 2/3 of the parish but there are many who are still hesitant to participate in this endeavour - approximately 200 families.  We are sincerely thankful for those who have made the commitment and have been making pledge payments.  We are especially thankful for those who have opened up and given gifts above and beyond what they pledged.  We have had several cases where a parishioner or friend of the parish has received a windfall and generously shared that gift with us.  These sacrifices are going a long way toward us achieving our goal.

For those of you who are still considering your participation, we ask that you prayerfully consider joining us.  This goal is requiring prayerful sacrifice - and we are seeing it happen.  I find it ironic that we would be asked to meet this challenge when most of what we hear is bad news.  We are being asked to have faith and to act courageously at a time when a lot seems to be going wrong.  Frankly, this is something that I struggle with.  It’s kind of like the old story I heard when I was a kid:

A man was walking along a steep river bank when all of a sudden he lost his footing and slipped down the bank.  He just barely grabbed onto a branch that kept him from falling the rest of the way down the bank into the river below.  As he was hanging from the branch, he yelled, “Hey up there! Help!!!”  A voice came down from above, “Let go of the branch and you will be saved.”  The man yelled back, “You’ve got to be kidding!”  The voice from above rumbled, “This is the Lord, let go of the branch.”  The man thought for a bit and yelled back, “Is there anybody else up there?”

The economy is doing what?  And you want me to WHAT?  Yes, that’s exactly what I want you to do.  Have faith.  No one ever said this would be easy.  But when the roof on the house is leaking, something must be done.

If you’re on the fence, please join us.  If you don’t know how you can participate, ask!  If you’re worried, welcome, you are most certainly not alone.  This project is bigger than any one of us and it requires all of us.  Please consider your part, make a commitment, no matter what level, and join us in this worthwhile effort. 

Thank you for your participation to date.  To the team of people that got us this far, thank you for your dedication and willing example!

God Bless,

Michael A. Dupont
Campaign Director
Renewing Our Legacy of Faith